Signal apparatus



June 3,1941.l H. R. GROSS 2,243,954

SIGNAL APPARATUS Y AFiled Jne .24. 1939 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 June 3,' 1941. H, R. @Ross 2,243,954

SIGNAL APPARATUS Filed June 24, 1939 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Il- Illllllllll June 3, 1941. HR, GROSS 2,243,954

S I GNAL APPARATUS Filed June 24, 1959 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Eni/775% Y i feng JE. 67u56, n yy M Mwffw vcate intended turns.

to` indicate either right or left turns.

.by an electric lamp. madeof tranparent or translucent material, for

Patented June 3, 1941 UNlTED STATES PATENT OFFICE 1 Claim.

This invention relates to improvements in signal apparatus and more especially to such apparatus adapted for directional signaling use in' connection with motor vehicles `and the like.

It has been found highly desirable to provide directional signals on motor vehicles to indi- My improved apparatus is designed for this purpose and is so made that it kcan be used on the front or rear or substantially sides.

My improved a-pparatus can be easily an'yd quickly installed and so mounted as to operate Heretofore it has frequently been thought necessary to make signaling devices of this kind, both right Iandleft. My device, however, can be made to indicate right or left by the way it is mounted.

Another feature of my invention is the provision of a signal unit adapted for illumination My improved device is example, glass, plastic, or the like, and `is so constructed that, when illuminated from the rear or inside by an electric lamp, it will give a directional si'gnal. The visibilityoi the signal is very high, even in bright daylight.- The signal is produced by illuminating a reflecting surface or "surfaces arranged, for example, in the form of an arrow pointing `in the direction of the in- "tendd turn. This is accomplished by providing portions of the inner face of the cuter surface 'f of the lens are adapted to reflect light rearwardly to give the directional signal. These reflecting surfaces are here shown arranged like a horizontal V or an arrow, with the point indicating either a right or left hand turn, as desired. The reflecting surface or surfaces are so bright that they stand out in contrast with the illumination of the rest of the lens and thereby form a clearly visible directional signal.

Other features and advantages of the invention will appear more fully as I proceed with my specification.

In that form of device embodying the features of my invention, shown in the accompanying y drawings-Fig. 1 is a view in front or rear eleview taken as indicated byline 6 of Fig. 4; Fig. 7 is Ia view taken as indicated by line 1 of Fig. 4; Fig. Sis a view taken as indicated by line 8 of Fig. 4; Fig. 9' is a view similar to Fig. 2 showing `a.Inodificatiom Fig. 10 is a view in side elevation of a complete lamp with the lens attached; and Figs..11-14 are diagrammatic views showing the reflecting and refracting properties of the lens.

As shown in the drawings, the device comprises in general a hollow conical lens I0 made of any suitable transparent or translucent material such as glass, plastic, or the like. The material is preferably tinted amber in order to lessen the glare.` As here shown, the lens I is mounted upon a suitable lamp I I by means of the screws I2, I2. The lamp I Icarries a source of illumination, here shown as an ordinary'incandescent electric `bulli I3, the filament of which is indicated by I4. I5 indicates a reflector back of the bulbwhich is preferably spherical so that the filament is at the focus of the same in order to concentrate the light at the filament as much as possible. As here shown, the' filament is located back `of the apex of the lens I0 but actually inside of lthe same to a certain extent.

The lprincipal feature of the lens is the provision of a reflecting surface or surfaces that will distinctly reflect the light of the filament rearwardly to show a definite directional signal. As here shown, I have provided fourteen such reflecting surfaces,l seven of which are visible from one side and seven from the opposite side. VIt will simplify the explanation of the device to consider at the start oney side only. As here shown', it will be seen that the vlens is provided on each side with seven stepped or terraced surfaces I5-2I which are portions of right circular cones. These surfaces are indicated from the top to the bottom respectively by the reference numerals I5-2I in sequence, the center surface I8 being somewhat wider than the others. It is the extreme end of the inner face of each of these outer surfaces that constitutes the reflector.

These reflecting surfaces, therefore, act as seven different reflectors, each of which reflects a bright spot or area from the filament rearwardly. The reflecting surfaces are arranged at such an angle that each reflects the light from the filament ,rearwardly in substantially the same direction.

That is, the reflected rays from each ofV these reflecting surfaces are substantially parallel. Consequently, when viewed from the rear an observer will see seven reflections of the filament, or seven bright spots, in the shape of `a horizontal V, or arrow, to give a directional signal to one side or the cone to prevent a too direct View of the flla- Y ment through the central portion of the cone. The outer surfaces I 5--2l are shown as slightly convex and this, of course, will give a concavity to the inner reflecting surface thereof.

It is to be understood thatthe lens reflects rearwardly and forwardly to the same f. extent and that the reflection forwardly is the sameas .that Yto the rear already described.

Fig. 12 shows diagrammatically howthe signal ,appears when viewed from the rear. Each ofthe reflecting surfaces lli-2|, inclusive, shows a reflection of the filament I4, and these reflections are in the form of a horizontal V pointing to the right (here shown), the surfaces I5-2I ,being portions of right circular cones having a right degree of curvature so that the rays 5I] emanating from the lament I4 will be reflected rearwardly, substantially horizontally and parallel to each other. Fig. 11 shows VdiagrarnmaticallyV the reflecting surfaces I5-2I, inclusive when viewed from the top. It will be seen that. these surfaces are so slanted that their outer ends i will reflect the rays 5I) emanating from the lament I4' rearwardly,l substantially horizontally,

-and substantially parallel as indicated by the rays 5I', 5I. The rays 5I reflected from the surfaces |5 -and 2| are above and below the ray reflected from the surface I8 as shown inFig. 12, and likewise those reflected from the surfaces IS and v26 are above and below the ray reected from the surface I8, and likewise the rays re flected fromthe surfaces I'I and I9 are above and below, respectively, the ray reflected from the surface I3.

'Ihe vconvex surfaces 22 and 23 serve to aid 4in gathering more rays from the filament and directing them onto the reflecting surfaces than -r otherwise would be the case. It Will be seen also that although in Figs. 11 and 12 I have indicated one reflection of the filament I4 seen from a certain position, that the reflecting surfaces are large enough so that some reflections vwill be Tange.

seen even if the lens is Viewed from dierent angles. For example, as indicated by Figure 14 it will be seen that there will be several images of the filament I4 on the reflecting surface I8 that will be seen from the rear even if the lens is viewed from different angles within a certain These surfaces may be made, for example, so that the directional signal will be effective if viewed anywhere within a predetermined angle, for example an angle of from 15-30.

If desired, certain portions of the lens can be made opaque as indicated by 25 in Fig. 9 to prevent a direct view of the filament inside of the V,

As stated above, the end of the inner faces of the surfaces I5-2I constitute the reflecting surfaces.

'Ihe reflections of the filament from each of these surfaces is confined substantially to the ends thereof because it is only at the ends that the reflected rays can go rearwardly and horizontally without intersecting or meeting the outer wall of the bore of the lens. That is, rays reflected rearwardly from the surfaces I5-2I inwardly ofthe ends will meet the outer wall of the interior of the lens itself and be scattered, dispersed, or reflected upwardly so that they will not be visible from a point occupied by a person in a following car to whom the signal is to be given.

While there are shown and described certain embodiments of the invention, it is to be understood that it is capable of many modifications. Changes, therefore, in the construction and arrangement may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as disclosed in the appended claims. L

Y What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent is: V Signal apparatus, including, a hollow lens generally conical in shape, with a light source Yadjarcent the interior thereof, andk with the outer sur- Vface of the lens terraced to provide separate surfaces so located as to form substantially the outline of an arrow, each of these separate surfaces being so angularly arranged withl respect to light reaching it from the light source as to reflect an image of such light source in a horizontal direc'- tion and substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the lens, the reflected rays from each separate surfacer being substantially parallel to the reflected rays from the other separate surfaces. V Y

HENRY R. GROSS. 

